The Haliburton Highlands is a special part of Ontario, and is considered by many of those seeking to experience the outdoors, to be Ontario's premiere destination. Its countless lakes, streams, trails, and dense forest provide the backdrop for many of Ontario's favourite outdoor recreational activities ... Fishing ... ATVing ... Kayaking...Snowmobiling ... Hiking ... Skiing,..etc. And just like the famous Algonquin Park that it borders, Haliburton has steadfastly resisted any type of development that could take away from its unique natural beauty.

HALIBURTON'S COTTAGE RESORT "WITH A DIFFERENCE!"

Haliburton County is the District of Muskoka's eastern neighbour. And this unique and and breath-taking section of the Canadian Shield is bordered to the north by Algonquin Park, with it's population centred mostly around just a handful of small villages.

While most lakefrontage on Haliburton's biggest lakes is being swallowed up by developers, and turned into condos, Kashaga Lodge Cottage Resort remains the only "housekeeping" resort near the village of Haliburton. No swimming pool, no weight room, no sauna, no tennis court, no hot-tub, no room service, no spa, no banquet room, no "service" fees, no air conditioning, etc to inflate the cost of enjoying all those wonderful ACTIVITIES and NATURAL ATTRACTIONS+ that Kashaga Lodge, the Canadian Shield, Lake Kashagawigamog, and the nearby
town of Haliburton have to offer. The cottages are quite privately located and have fully-equipped kitchens, decks, BBQs, cable TV, firepits, picnic tables, WiFi access, and 5 acres of open tree-lined lakeside property, on glorious Lake Kashagawigamog. All surrounded by trails, trails, and more trails. These are cottages, and fully-equipped housekeeping suites, not motel rooms. Units rent by the weekend or week so that guests can have the comforts of home while enjoying all those unique experiences that Haliburton has to offer.

 DIRECT ACCESS to Haliburton ATV Club and Kawartha ATV Club ATV trails.

 Free WIRELESS INTERNET on property.

ICE FISHING AT KASHAGA LODGE:

2016 ICE FISHING ON LAKE KASHAGAWIGAMOG:

JAN. 12, 2016 ICE UPDATE:
Here's a photo taken from the deck of the lodge building on Jan 6 2016. The guy out on the lake is fishing on 5 inches of ice. Although this was prime walleye time, the afternoon bite at sundown, he only marked fish with his Lowrence flasher, but the walleye could not be coaxed onto the hook. Nonetheless, if you look closely, you'll see a big smile on his face just being out on the ice for his first hardwater fix of 2016.
The photo to the right was taken Jan 12. The operator tried to help a few locals by lending them his Marcum flasher. But he had to get back to preparing for the Jan 15 weekend by getting the huts ready to place on the walleye structure.

JAN. 15, HUTS OUT !!!
The huts are out, and we had a winner of our "First Perch" gift certificate by 9 am Friday morning. Steve and the boys overslept a bit, perhaps related to over-indulging a bit on Thursday night in the 6-bedroom cottage. Nonetheless, Steve was quickly rewarded for dragging his arse out of bed before noon by enticing the weekend's first perch onto the ice before half his crew realized that the sun had already been up for several hours.

JAN. 22 WEEKEND

Normally by late January, Lake Kashagawigamog is covered with at least a foot and a half of ice, and we've been iceing walleye since mid December. The winter of 2016 has been extraordinarily unkind to Ontario's ice fishing enthusiasts. Ontario's most popular walleye fisheries such as Lake Nippissing and Bay of Quinte, which are much larger bodies of water, are way behind schedule. And Southern Ontario's favourite perch factory, Lake Simcoe, isn't much better off.
This weekend, we finally had a winner of our "First Walleye" gift certificate.
The 21 incher to the left was iced in his own portable by Sonny during the evening bite of Sat Jan. 23. As we encourage all conservation-minded sportsmen to do, he returned his catch to the lake to help sustain this prized species for the future of Ontario sportfishing.
He also qualified for the weekend's "First Walleye" $50 gift certificate offered by OUTDOORS PLUS the nearby bait and tackle shop. But he generously deferred his award to
ANDREW, of 'HALIBURTON HARDWATER WALLEYE,' the new full-time Kashaga Lodge hut operator and guide."

NOTE:
The walleye ice fishing season is open until March 15 on Lake Kashagawigamog. And be aware that the pickerel bite tends to get stronger towards the end of the hardwater season prior to the April spawning run.
Although the couple to the left only iced perch this day, they seemed to be enjoying the March weather out on the ice nonetheless. (I'm not sure if they even had lines in the water half the time.)
And there is still accommodation and hut availability for the weekends of March 5 and March 12. Also, be aware that we move our huts to the perch structure after that for ANOTHER TWO WEEKENDS of hardwater fun before the huts have to be off the ice at the end of March.

As is typical, Lake Kashagawigamog's Kashaga Bay had started to freeze over by the end of the first week of December 2014. Before the Christmas thaw and rain, we were augering holes in up to 8 inches of ice, but even with the unfavourable conditions for making ice that lasted almost a week, the huts were out on a minimum of 8 inches on New Years Day, set up and ready for the season's first wave of hardwater junkies.
The weekend of January 2 was brutally cold, so the heated huts got lots of use. Although the operator augered at least as many holes outside the huts as inside, very few soles were hardy enough to venture outside. By the end of the Saturday evening bite, a total of 5 walleye, one lake trout, one herring, and about 50 perch had been brought into the huts over the previous 36 hours.
In the pictures to the right, that's Steve proudly holding up his 22 incher, and his 31 1/2 incher. Both were caught within 150 yards of his lakeside cottage.
Matt, in the floater suit, doesn't believe in huts. He stalked this 26 incher with his Vexilar all over the sunken island before hooking up with it in 23 fow.

The weekend of Jan 9, 2015 saw no pickerel on the ice. One group rented the operator's Marcum, and although they marked plenty, and had a few good hits, for the most part, they were just sniffing the minnow and moving on. Fortunately there were the usual schools of perch under the huts to keep the guys awake. The usual 50 or so perch were iced.

Over the weekend of Jan 16, Kashaga Lodge hosted three groups of very pleasant ice fishermen. Kevin's group and Doug's group reserved their drinking for after the day's fishing, whereas Ryan's group fished the huts closest to their cottage (within easy staggering distance of their refrigerator.)
Although Ryan's group clearly enjoyed the weekend, the guys who more or less behaved themselves, got to enjoy a classic "shore lunch" in their cottage before heading home Sunday.
Kevin, in the photo at left, knows that walleye are not in the habit of searching out a hut in order to feed. His group of 5 hardwater addicts moved around, augering their own holes, and scoping out different structure with their sonar.
Doug's group of 3 was more than happy to enjoy the comfort of heir heated huts, and managed to ice enough perch that they got to savour that oh-so-sweet taste for Saturday dinner in the cottage before settling in to watch the Leafs get blown out (AGAIN.)

Kashaga Lodge welcomed two very large groups to Haliburton's Lake Kashagawigamog on Thursday night, January 22, 2015.
The Price clan consisted of three families who came very-well equipped to seek out Lake Kashagawigamog's clever walleye under the ice. After warming up their taste buds with a dinner of fresh perch on Friday evening, a bunch of them went out to try the night bite (in spite of the operator's advice that the walleye are asleep soon after dark.) That's Mitch in the picture at right holding his 30 inch walleye in the hut at 11:30 pm Friday night. Forunately he had Nate with him in the hut who was willing to stick his hand down the hole (full of teeth) to get this guy on the ice. Congratulations to both of them!!
Moral: Don't pay any attention to the operator. (Also, if you want to catch pickerel through the ice, it helps to bring your wife and family along to help you stay sober enough to feel a bite.)

The other group consisted of 13 hockey players who chose to come back to Haliburton even though the Canadian Pond Hockey Championships that they had participated in for 10 years moved back to Huntsville after 3 years on Head Lake in Haliburton. They were definitely not disappointed, as weather conditions prior to the weekend were ideal for preparation of an awesome rink on the lake right beside their cottage. And the best part; they still had some coin left in their pockets by virtue of not getting fleeced by Deerhurst's ridiculous rates. And better still, they had their own kitchen and dining table, and were only 3 minutes from a Tim Hortons, a grocery store, and the Beer Store.
Fortunately, the Leafs were on All-Star break, so they didn't have to endure watching another Leaf loss on their 42" TV on Saturday night.
The first picture at left is of Andrew, Kashaga's faithful hut operator out on the ice at 6:30 in the morning at -25 degrees C, flooding the rink, and the second one is of thirteen serious hockey buddies playing their sport "the Canadian way."

Over the weekend of Jan 30, the lodge hosted only 18 guests, all of whom came to Lake Kashagawigamog to hunt the elusive hardwater walleye. Only two of the guests were women, but between the two of them, they iced probably almost as many fish as all the guys put together, and more importantly, Kelly landed this lovely 22 inch walleye in the picture at right. Although Kelly is an advocator of "catch and release," (as we should all be,) this poor guy lost his life to the struggle. Out of compassion for Alex`s group of 8 somewhat less "skilled" (and MUCH less sober) anglers in a neaby hut, Kelly made their day by offering them her catch.

Since Alex's group was largely comprised of distinguished politicians from the Hamilton area, they're much more adept at fishing for votes than for walleye. Ironically, these guys came to their 6-bedroom cottage with enough food to feed everybody on the property for the entire weekend. Hey Alex, thanks for the leftovers. Neither the owner's nor the operator's families will have to grocery shop for the next week!

To be sure, unlike most species, the feeding patterns of the wiley walleye are somewhat 'unpredictable.' But most would agree that there are four general constants associated with their strongest feeding urges: SUN-UP, SUNDOWN, FIRST ICE, and LAST ICE

The County of Haliburton is Algonquin Park‘s southern neighbor, and as such, shares almost all the same unique geographical characteristics of the Park itself. Perhaps the most
striking characteristic of this largely undeveloped chunk of the Canadian Shield is the number of lakes, rivers, and streams contained within its borders. To be sure, there is no lack of angling opportunities.
During the hardwater season, Haliburton County offers arguably the best ice fishing in Central Ontario for most species of fish. Mr. WALLEYE is perhaps the most sought-after game fish in Ontario,
and Lake Kashagawigamog possesses the largest walleye population in the County. And Kashaga Lodge Cottages is located right at the north end of this lake just a short ice-walk from some of the best walleye fishing in Central Ontario.
The resort situates 8 huts at various locations nearby according to time of season and apparent feeding patterns.

HALIBURTON or MINDEN HOCKEY TOURNAMENTS:

The Highland Storm Hockey Ass'n is renowned in Ontario for its passion for promoting Canada's national sport and also for its reputation for helping develop talented sportsmanlike hockey players.
Every winter, Haliburton Storm hosts several regional Minor Hockey tournaments, as well as OMHA's prestigious "Silver Stick."
Matt Duchene (Colorado Avalanche) (left) and Cody Hodgson (Nashville Predators) (right) went to school together in Haliburton, played hockey together in
Haliburton, and both played for the 2009 IIHF World Juniors, and both were NHL first round draft picks. And each sponsors a hockey tournament each
winter in their beloved hometown Haliburton.

Kashaga Lodge offers a very unique accommodation package for out of town hockey teams participating in these various Haliburton Storm hockey
tournaments.

The team 'base' would be the lakeside 6-bedroom cottage. This very large cottage includes 6 doubles and 5 singles in the 6 bedrooms,
but also has plenty of floor space for cots and rollaways. This 'cottage' also includes a large fully-equipped kitchen, 3 bathrooms,
12 place dining table, and a games room with 42" TV on cable,
a 12 ft shuffleboard table, and a professional fooseball table.
Adjacent to the 6-bedroom cottage is a fully-equipped 2-bedroom cottage with 2 doubles and 3 singles.

Kashaga Lodge is on the road between Haliburton and Minden, and is just 5 km from Haliburton's A.J. LaRue Arena.

Perhaps the most popular attractions for teams staying at Kashaga Lodge for Haliburton County hockey tournaments are:
 Free Thursday night and no check-out time on Sunday, so no need to pack up before any Sunday (hopefully) finals.
 Very large fully-equipped kitchen and dining room, combined with the nearby supermarket, makes it possible for teams to save hundreds of dollars vs restaurant meals.
 The common room not only offers various games for the kids (and parents,) but is a great location for pre and post-game coach / team meetings.
 Players have 5 acres of level lakeside property for frisbee, football, snow fort building, etc.
 Close enough to both arenas to easily return 'home' for a meal or recreation time in between games.
 The weekend accommodation cost per family tends to be approximately half to three quarters the accommodation cost of staying at a motel or
big "full service" resort.
 Oh yeah, property is located exactly 1.4 km from Tim Hortons, and "2/4/1" Pizza in Haliburton delivers to the property!!

SNOWMOBILING FROM KASHAGA LODGE, HALIBURTON

The town of Haliburton is the hub of the Haliburton County Snowmobile Association, the grandaddy of all snowmobile clubs in Ontario. Due in part to the elevation, the Haliburton Highlands has a reputation for getting snow sooner, and keeping it longer, than any other region in south-central Ontario. And KASHAGA LODGE is the closest cottage resort to the town of Haliburton., just 5 minutes by sled or car from fuel, restaurants, sled parts, groceries, beer and liquor stores, coffee shops, and banks. And the town of Haliburton prides itself in serving up old-fashioned hospitality.

Haliburton County is legendary within Ontario for providing a unique snowmobiling experience for its visitors. Haliburton County’s southern border with Peterborough and Kawartha Lakes roughly defines the southern edge of the Canadian Shield. And the village of Haliburton is quite centrally located within this region of forests, lakes, streams, rock outcroppings, and breathtakingly beautiful vistas, all interconnected via trails, trails and more trails.
Kashaga Lodge is ideally located for sledders, less than a 5 minute snowmobile ride from the
hub of the Haliburton County Snowmobile Association trails where the famous Haliburton / Victoria railtrail from Lindsay, and the hydro cut trail from Algonquin Park converge right in the village of Haliburton. After a day on the trails, note that Kashaga Lodge is only a 3-minute sled-ride to the gas station, grocery store, and the Beer Store, (without running the road.)

At Kashaga Lodge, riders can park their trucks and trailers right beside their cottage, and park their sleds right by their deck. And Lake Kashagawigamog is 15 km long, and provides a natural winter “extension” of the lodge’s 5 acres.

From Kashaga Lodge there are two access routes to the trails; head out onto Lake Kashagawigamog, or cross the road to the power line trail. Either route gets you to town as well as the rest of the HCSA trail system. Some of the most scenic and varied sledding in Ontario starts from Haliburton. The quick way out
of town is via the rail trail, but for those who would prefer to savour the forest landscapes of the unique Haliburton Highlands, the trails heading north or east out of town provide some of the most memorable riding in Ontario. Hardcore sledheads might want to try Haliburton through Algonquin Park to Whitney and return by way of Lake St Peter and Bancroft as a day loop. And the best part, the trails in this part of the Highlands are never abused by heavy traffic.

Haliburton Forest and Wildlife Centre, is a 50,000 acre Park bordering Algonquin Park which is open to snowmobilers. Every winter, enthusiasts come from as far away as Europe to experience the 300 km of extraordinary trails of the Haliburton Forest. This is the only trail system in Ontario which actually makes snow on the trails. Its a 45 minute sled ride to the Haliburton Forest base camp from Kashaga Lodge, but the trails that lead there are almost as incredible as those of the Forest itself. Kashaga Lodge is one of the closest cottage resorts to the Forest.

ATVing from KASHAGA LODGE:

Kashaga Lodge is arguably the best location in Haliburton County for accessing the ATV trails without trailering. The trail inventory accessible from your cottage deck varies from railtrail to the infamous "Goat Trail," Greens Mountain, and everything in between.
But more importantly, Kashaga Lodge offers hands down, the most comprehensive and unique ATV trail riding package in the area; and at a rate that facilitates participation in the sport of recreational ATVing by everyone.

Perhaps Kashaga Lodge's most unique ATV touring feature is its off-site 2-bedroom cottage near Gooderham, surrounded by Crown land trails...NO road running and with access to hundreds of kms of trails.

For more info on Kashaga Lodge's ATVing Package go to the
ATVING Page of this website.

KASHAGA LODGE FISHING:

At 15 km long, Lake Kashagawigamog is the largest of a 5-lake chain that includes the town docks of Haliburton, and extends south-east almost to the town of Minden. Although the most prized species of fish in this lake is walleye, they are not the easiest to hook. Not that they're not there, but walleye have a reputation for being smarter than humans. In general, if you're not familiar with the lakes, and especially without electronics to read lake structure, bass are the most likely to go for your bait. They aren't necessarily 'everywhere', but they can be almost 'anywhere'. And neither smallmouth nor largemouth are as discerning as the wiley walleye when it comes to the presentation of a potential meal.

Perhaps what sets this lake chain apart from most lakes in south-central Ontrio,is it's muskie population.
And speaking of Mr. Teeth, these guys drove all the way from from Ohio for their annual assault on Central Ontario's unsuspecting walleye population.
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Six hardcore American anglers, fishing from two boats, actually landed and released no fewer than an astounding 25 musky in three (wet) days. Here are a few of their own photos.

KAYAK FISHING AT KASHAGA LODGE:

OKFS (ONTARIO KAYAK FISHING SERIES)
Since the year 2009, Kashaga Lodge has hosted the Central Ontario leg of Ontario's most competitive organized series for kayak fishermen. Other legs of the tournament are held in south-western Ontario, northern Ontario, as well as Lake Ontario and Bay of Quinte.
The sport of fishing from a kayak is the fastest growing form of recreational fishing in North America, and Haliburton is one of the most popular locations of the the Ontario Series.
Kayak fishers from all over Ontario descend on Haliburton's Lake Kashagawigamog annually for the weekend after Labour Day. Kashaga Lodge is the perfect venue because of its level lakeside entry, and also because the lake itself is well protected from winds and also its lack of any currents. Both smallmouth and largemouth bass are plentiful, and the pros have the option of also targeting Kash's extraordinary muskie population.

The excitement starts when a yakker hooks into Mr. Teeth, and finds himself being towed around the lake. The real challenge is removing the hook while sitting side by side in the water with 3 or 4 feet of this angry predator. And since this is a live release tournament, he still has to take a picture in the kayak to record the size for the score-keeper. Good Luck if there isn't a nearby yakker with a camera!
The 2015 Haliburton tournament was held the weekend of Sept 12. This year, the biggest bass was a 22 inch largemouth, and the biggest muskie, at 40 inches was quite a handful trying to measure and release within the confines of a 12 ft kayak.

For more info on the Kashaga Lodge (or one of the other tournaments in the OKFS Series,) or to enter the tournament, contact Jeff at Nomad Aventures http://www.nomadadventures.net/